As a superior heat resistance-carrying polymer, JP 2002-363263A (corresponding to US 2004/152843A1) discloses a hydrogenated product of a ring-opened metathesis polymer having hydroxyl groups or hydroxylcarbonyl groups, which polymer is produced by conducting a ring-opening metathesis polymerization of a norbornene-type monomer having hydroxyl groups or hydroxylcarbonyl groups with an unsubstituted norbornene-type monomer having at least three rings in the presence of a catalyst predominantly comprised of an organic ruthenium compound having coordinated therewith a neutral electron-donating ligand, and hydrogenating the resulting copolymer.
However, there are problems in that (1) the above-mentioned hydrogenated product is insufficient in its heat resistance, (2) the above-mentioned production process of said hydrogenated product needs a further step of hydrogenating the ring-opened metathesis polymer, and (3) the above-mentioned production of said ring-opened metathesis polymer needs to use a polymerization catalyst predominantly comprised of an organic ruthenium compound, in order to avoid poisoning of said polymerization catalyst caused by hydroxyl groups or hydroxylcarbonyl groups contained in a norbornene-type monomer.